While
the campus at the University of Southern California isn't as beautiful
as the Westwood campus of its rival UCLA, and its location (near the northern
edge of South Central L.A.) may concern some potential tourists, USC definitely
has a legitimate claim to a Hollywood connection.

Scenes
from "A League of Their Own" (starring Rosie O'Donnell,
Madonna, & Geena Davis)
were shot at USC's Dedeaux Field, as were scenes from Kevin
Costner's baseball movie, "For
Love of the Game" and Tom Selleck's
"Mr. Baseball." Costner's more recent epic about the Cuban
Missle Crisis, "Thirteen Days," was shot in part
in the East Library. While scenes fromMel Brooks'
"Young Frankenstein" (with Gene Wilder)
were shot inside Hoffman Hall.

The
Delta Delta Delta sorority house, at 834 28th Street on USC's fraternity
row, played a key role in Rodney Dangerfield's
1986 comedy "Back to School" (remember the "You're
perfect!" shower scene?) More recently, "Legally
Blonde" (with Reese Witherspoon)
filmed some of its scenes on the USC campus.

On the television
front, the TV series "The Paper Chase" was filmed on campus,
as were scenes from other series such as "Party of Five,"
"Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Beverly Hills 90210,"
"Saved By the Bell," "Tales From the Crypt,"
"The Rockford Files", "Hart to Hart,"
"Lou Grant," "Kojak," and "Charlie's
Angels."

In addition to the
movies shot on campus, USC can also boast of a high number of Hollywood
alumni. John Wayne
went here, and was given an honorary degree in 1968. Robert
Vaughn ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.")
earned a Ph.D. at USC. Other former USC students who are now showbiz stars
include: the late Michael Landon
("Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie"),Cybill Shepherd
("The Last Picture Show"), Tom
Selleck ("Magnum, P.I."),
Marlo Thomas ("That
Girl"), actor/director Ron Howard,
LeVar Burton
("Roots" and "Star Trek"), John
Ritter ("Three's Company"),
Robert Stack
("The Untouchables"),Eric
Stoltz ("Chicago Hope"),
Ally Sheedy
("St. Elmo's Fire"), Swoosie
Kurtz("Sisters"),
Buster Crabbe,
musician Herb Alpert,
comic Mort Sahl,
newsman Sam Donaldson,
opera star Marilyn Horne,
director George Lucas
("Star Wars"), Robert Zemeckis
("Back to the Future"), Heather
Locklear ("Spin City"),
director John Singleton
("Boyz n tha Hood") and "Halloween" director
John Carpenter.
(Not to mention astronaut Neil Armstrong.)

After "Buffy
the Vampire Slayer" has graduated high school and moved on
to college, they shot shooting campus scenes here for that hit TV show.

Meanwhile, in 2009,
they were putting the finishing touches on the new campus of the USC's
School of Cinematic Arts, which has been funded by "Star Wars"
creator George Lucas.
The architecture of the new buildings is designed to resemble that of 1920's
Hollywood, and a life-size statue of silent film legend Douglas Fairbanks
(who helped found the film school then), stands in the courtyard of
the new campus. In the past, the film school has seen alumni such as Ron
Howard, Robert Zemeckis and Bryan Singer.

Getting
there: USC is located just south of the
Shrine Auditorium, and just north
of Exposition Park,
a few miles south of downtown Los Angeles. From downtown, take the Harbor
(110) Freeway south to the Exposition Boulevard exit.

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